Tips on taking your pets for Santa photos

Lots of people get their pet’s photo made with Santa these days, so the lines for this holiday activity have gotten longer. The good news is, so has the number of events around town that now offer Santa photo opportunities for your pets. (Check out www.mysapaws.com events calendar for holiday event listings.) Here are few tips to prepare for that photo session.

1. Make sure your pet is friendly. Often times, you’ll have to wait in a room with other pets. If your pet is not friendly and socialable around other animals, then the room can become tense rather quickly.

2. Keep your pet on a leash or carrier. Do not let your dog off-leash or a cat out of a carrier unless in a secure room or on a harness. Your pet may be friendly, but other pets may not. Loose pets cause mayhem.

3. Teach your pet to sit. If your pet is small, Santa can probably hold your pet, but if your pet is a large dog, then he or she will need to sit for the photo. Having manned these sessions and played Santa before, there is not much Santa can do in that costume to keep your pet still. So be sure your pet is comfortable “sitting” on command.

4. Bring your own props. Some Santa photo sessions will provide bandanas, reindeer ears, or Santa caps for your pet to wear — completely optional, of course. But if you have a special accessory, like a jingle bell collar, that you want your pet to wear in the photo, bring it along and, if possible, have it on your pet before you walk up to Santa, especially if there are lots of other pets waiting.

5. Bring a toy to get their attention. Does your dog or cat have a special toy they love? The photographer may encourage you to get your pet’s attention for the photo. If so, stand as close as you can to the photographer or just behind the photographer to get your pet to “look up.”

Santa photos can be a wonderful way to commemorate the holidays with your pet. Have fun.

mysa admin

7 Responses

Just wanted to add that Pet Pals for Texas is also doing photos for Santa 3 weekends. I have been a photographer for this for the past 3 years, and it’s a lot of fun! This coming weekend is the last weekend for it. We are doing it at PetSmart at Windcrest (Walzem exit off I-35) from 11 am – 4 pm this Saturday and Sunday. The cost is only $9.95 and includes a frame, and half the proceeds benefit Pet Pals of Texas (www.petpalsoftexas.org). Bring your pets and/or your kids!

I’m so glad to see I’m not the only one who doesn’t understand why “FS” continues to feel the need to hammer out ‘slams’ in all subjects ‘animal related’ – or why this person’s posts are allowed to stand.

Having said that (thanks to all who finally said so as well) – we were able to help with Santa pictures last weekend and I have to tell you it was such fun. All the dogs and cats were cooperative with their humans and lots of special companion animal photographs were taken to capture wonderful memories for their owners for many years to come. I hardly think a 2 year old human understands the real reason they are sitting on Santa’s lap either – we all know it’s for the parents and it’s the same with our pets.

FS, I understand that you are a small, lonley, angry woman with nothing better to do with your time than bash bloggers. I have been reading Cathy’s blog from the background for years, and you have NEVER made a complimentary comment about one of her blog postings. I understand that this all stems from your jealousy and self doubt issues. I pity you. May your postings here bring you the peace and joy that is obviously lacking in your meaningless life.

AW, you are like a flea on a elephant……you don’t bother me at all and I will continue to blog as I wish. I wrote my initial comment to Cathy and she wrote a response to it which I appreciate. I don’t necessarily agree with it, but it was nice of her to respond to my inquiry. I just think that some of these topics are silly and serve no real purpose at all. The picture of the cat on Santa’s lap. Does anyone really believe that the cat knows what’s going on? If you write a blog that has some layers to it, it engages the reader. Comments may be all over the place but at least there is honest and open dialogue. And there have been a lot of stories in the local media concerning animals. I don’t know if they are all good or bad….I guess a lot of it is in the eye of the beholder. But this blog was born out of the issues out at ACS a few years ago and it would be nice to see some topics which touch on these and other interesting takes on other issues and community concerns about animals through the passage of time.

I write several times a week, which translates to about 156 posts a year. I don’t want to always write about the negative things people do to animals, especially when there are positive things for animals happening in San Antonio. I try to offer a variety of information, including educational messages, so that pet owners can also learn better ways to engage and interact with their pets. What that means is this blog can run the gamut from dog fighting and animal cruelty discussions to events and advice for people with pets.

Cathy, when you started this blog a few years ago, your topics had some meat on them. Now, for the most part, they are nothing but fluff. There have been several interesting stories about animal issues in the paper in the last several weeks but you have chosen not to comment on them. What gives? Has your editor put a muzzle on you or do you not feel they are worth commenting on?

About the Author

Cathy M. Rosenthal has more than 25 years of experience in public relations, communications and humane education in the animal welfare field. She has worked for local humane societies and national humane groups, appearing on hundreds of television and radio news and public affairs programs to address animal issues. She currently is a consultant for local and national animal welfare organizations, writing grants, annual reports and other marketing materials. She is also the author of several children's books about animals.